grande dame

noun

ˈgrän-ˈdäm 

plural grandes dames ˈgrän-ˈdäm(z)  also grande dames ˈgrän-ˈdäm(z) 

1

: a usually older woman of great prestige or ability

2

: granddaddy sense 2

Synonyms of grande dame

• dowager
• matron
• mother

Examples of grande dame in a Sentence

the city's grandes dames still hold considerable sway in its cultural life

Recent Examples on the Web

As for where to stay, Rister often books clients at The Modernist Thessaloniki set in a 1920s heritage building; The Excelsior, just a block away from the harbor; and Electra Palace Thessaloniki, a grande dame on Aristotelous Square. — Matt Ortile, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Sep. 2026

Witchy and worldly, with a tendency to name-drop the luminaries she’s encountered on her travels, the grande dame is Sybylla’s first example of a woman who chose her own way and has been rewarded for it. — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2026

Poor Helen Hayes, grande dame of the stage, lived long enough to see her namesake theater meet the wrecking ball. — Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 3 Sep. 2026

Baros Maldives is the grande dame of resorts in the archipelagic country. — Ann Lee, TheWeek, 24 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, great lady

First Known Use

1775, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for grande dame

• aspartame
• counterclaim
• overcame
• underframe
• username
• acclaim
• aflame
• airframe
• ballgame
• became
• declaim
• defame